


Little Stolen Moments

by teecup_angel



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Dancing, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Blue Lions Route Spoilers, Fluff, Mentioned Black Eagles Students (Fire Emblem), Mentioned Blue Lions Students (Fire Emblem), Mentioned Golden Deer Students (Fire Emblem), Post-Blue Lions Route (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Slow Dancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-20
Updated: 2019-12-20
Packaged: 2021-02-26 06:15:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,349
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21868870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teecup_angel/pseuds/teecup_angel
Summary: (My secret santa gift to Kurrin)None of it was planned. It just so happened that amidst the busy academic life and the ongoing war five years later, they still found the time to dance.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/My Unit | Byleth
Comments: 15
Kudos: 80





	Little Stolen Moments

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Kurrin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurrin/gifts).



> Here’s my secret santa gift for [Kurrin](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kurrin). :)  
> Special thanks to [Cardy](https://twitter.com/CardyDesu) for making sure this fic was fluff and I didn’t accidentally add any angst in this XD
> 
> The main dance in this fic is based on Sørlandsspringar, specifically this [ youtube video ](https://youtu.be/BihYMeir2YM) (the 1st dance from 0:25 to 2:29). Please watch that so you can understand what’s happening when they start to dance as I feel like I do not do justice to that dance in my writing.

**14th Day of the Ethereal Moon, 1180**

Dimitri trusted his professor. He trusted her, not only with his life, but with the life of his fellow Blue Lion students. He trusted her judgment and believed that everything she did was for a reason. 

But it was hard to trust her judgment right now as he let his body move to the music while Professor Manuela clapped her hands in time with the beat. 

What possessed his trusted professor to choose him to represent the Blue Lion House in the White Heron Cup was a mystery that he could simply not fathom even a guess. She had approached each of her students and listened to them as they asked to be the representative of the White Heron Cup. Of course, some of them, including Dimitri, had asked that they not be chosen. 

There were many who qualified more than him in being the representative of the White Heron Cup and many of them actually wanted to represent their house for this competition. 

Flayn had been enthusiastic in becoming the representative and she held a sweet yet ethereal charm to her that would have captivated the audience and the judges. Mercedes had the kind and loving allure that would have held their eyes. Annette had that innocent cheerful energy that would have brought joy to all that see her… although he would admit he would be worried the entire time as the younger Dominic has proven time and time again that she was quite clumsy so he wasn’t really surprised that she wasn’t chosen. 

If she had been adamant in choosing one of the male students, Sylvain, for all his carefree and almost lazy way of moving, was actually the best dancer among his childhood friends. It was his dancing that managed to finally smitten the Gray Lion’s daughter back in Faerghus. Ashe may not know the steps but he was a quick learner and his sincere hard work would definitely shine through. He believed that the younger boy would have been able to perform spectacularly if he was given proper guidance. 

Absolutely anyone, even Ingrid who he would admit to having two left feet when she was young (but it could have been the nerves of having to dance with Glenn), would be a better choice than him. 

In all honesty, even their professor’s newly acquired (poached) transfer student, Marianne, would have been a better choice than him.

His arms were starting to ache which brought his musing to a halt yet he made sure not to show any discomfort. He let his eyes wander as he swayed to the beat. He wasn’t sure who the representatives for the other houses were but he saw the former opera singer from the Black Eagle House and the heir of Gloucester from the Golden Deer House. 

Just the idea of competing with a well known diva was-

Oh, goddess, was that Claude hiding behind one of the pillars staring at him with a huge grin on his face?

It was.

It was Claude von Riegan, heir of House Riegan, grinning at him.

Their eyes met and the Golden Deer’s house leader gave him a cheeky thumbs up.

Dimitri kept his face void of any discomfort and (now) resignation as he continued the movements that had been ingrained into him since his childhood. He saw more students from all three houses but only the diva from Black Eagle House and the Gloucester heir from the Golden Deer House stood out for him as their possible competitions. He did saw Raphael from the Golden Deer House but Professor Hanneman wouldn’t pick him.

… Would he?

Professor Manuela finally declared that the dance practice was done and Dimitri finally let his hands drop. Everyone started to leave and he couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of the carefree and joyful conversations his fellow students were having with their friends, obviously excited for the White Heron Cup and the upcoming ball. His eyes landed on his professor who had been silently observing him the entire time and he felt his heart dropped when he saw the pensive look on her face as she rested her chin against the knuckles of her closed fist while her elbow rested against her crossed arm. He placed his hands behind him as he politely said, “It is not too late to pick another representative. I can assure you, Professor, that Sylvain-”

“Don’t you like dancing, Dimitri?” 

Her question cut not only the words that were leaving his mouth but also the words that had formed in his mind. He stared at her for a few moments as he tried to get his bearings before replying politely, “I find dancing enjoyable.”

“You don’t look like you were enjoying yourself though.” She commented, frowning slightly as she mused, “Maybe it’s because you were dancing on your own?”

Dimitri couldn’t help but straighten his back even further (a feat he didn’t even know he could do) when he saw her walk towards him, stopping only until a few inches separated them from one another. She raised her eyes to stare at him as she ordered in the same calm tone she used during battle, “You lead.”

“Yes, Professor.” He said immediately as his body moved on its own, used to accepting any orders from his professor.

It was only when his right hand held hers (and, oh, how he wished he wasn’t wearing his gauntlets right now) and his left hand rested on her back that he realized what his professor wanted him to do. 

More dancing…

And now, with the added torture of having her in his arms… 

He wondered if the Goddess was currently punishing him for not being faithful enough.

He couldn’t help the blush that colored his cheeks as he realized he had placed his hand dangerously low and quickly moved it upward so it was on the same height as her waist. She placed her free hand on his shoulder and took another step forward, causing his blush to deepen as he felt her ample breasts press against him. She kept her eyes on his face as she said, “Go ahead, Dimitri.”

“O-of course.” He stuttered before leading her to the same movements he had been doing since the start of Professor Manuela’s dance lesson. She was so close he could feel her warmth, her face just a few inches away from him that all he had to do was lean down to capture those lips that had been haunting his dreams ever since he had seen them curve into the most mesmerizing smile he had ever seen. Each step they took only made him remember that she was pressed against him and he knew that his entire face was as red as a ripe tomato by now. 

Oh dear goddess, he hoped Claude had already left.

Knowing his luck, the dark-haired boy was probably still hiding behind one of the pillars with that grin of his and he should just prepare himself in the teasing he would have to endure once the Riegan heir decided to annoy him. 

He was just glad that Claude wasn’t friends with Sylvain.

However, Sylvain was friends with Claude’s close friend Hilda of House Goneril who was also close friends with some of Blue Lion’s transfer students like Marianne and Lysithea.

… He supposed he should also prepare himself for the teasing he would receive from his fellow Blue Lions. He knew for a fact Sylvain would not let this opportunity slip and he was sure that, at the very least, Mercedes would tease him in her own sweet way. Ashe and Annette were too nice to tease him but they would definitely smile at him with a glint in their eyes.

“You’re really stiff.”

Her words caused him to pale as he managed to choke out, “Pa-pardon?!”

He was mortified, feeling betrayed by his own body (not that he could actually blame his body considering his current situation).

She patted his shoulder once before explaining, “Your body. It’s really stiff. It feels like dancing with a statue.”

“O-oh.” He said in relief and tried to relax as he apologized with a bitter smile, “Please forgive me, Professor. It seems I have done nothing but disappoint you all today.” 

She stopped, forcing him to stop as well, and stared at him for a few moments in silence before saying, “It’s not your fault, Dimitri. I could see you have the skills and you have been dancing for almost two hours so it’s not really surprising that you would be pushing yourself by now.”

She pulled away from him and he let her go as he pondered over the fact that he had been dancing for two hours and his arms were already tired. He remembered dancing as a child with Edelgard for more than three hours and, while they did take breaks here and then, he can’t remember ever being as tired as he was right now. 

“But it really feels like your dancing lacks… life, I guess?” She admitted with a slight frown before adding, “I suppose it could be because of the type of dance you have to do.”

Remembering how they had danced flawlessly just now (albeit, a bit stiff as she had said), he stared at her as he asked curiously, “Professor, do you like to dance?”

She tilted her head and remained silent for a few moments, looking thoughtful at the question presented to her, before finally replying, “The dance I know is fun for me.”

It was not an answer to his question but it piqued his curiosity nonetheless. The idea of the Blue Lion House’s professor, the renowned legendary mercenary who held the moniker ‘Ashen Demon’, dancing for fun was simply too much for him to let it pass.

“Would you be kind enough to let me see the dance you enjoy, Professor?” He asked, trying to rein in his enthusiasm. 

She blinked at him before tilting her head as she asked, “Why? It’s not the dance that you’d have to perform in the White Heron Cup.”

“Well, yes, but, as you have said, my dancing seem to lack life, correct?” He rambled as he made up an excuse right up on the spot, “Perhaps if I see this dance that my professor enjoy, I would have the inspiration I need to correct my dancing?”

She stared at him with her big blue eyes that had always reminded him of the bouquet of cornflowers he once saw in the flower shop in Fhirdiad. They had captured his eyes when he had been young because they were not native in Faerghus and the price had been almost absurd for a bouquet of flowers yet he couldn’t help but be drawn to the simple elegance of the blue flowers.

“Okay.” A single word was she all she had to say to regain his attention. He blinked when she turned around and said, “Follow me.”

Curious at what his professor was planning, he followed her silently out of the courtyard. The cheerful gatekeeper greeted her as they passed him on their way out and she stopped to return his greeting. Dimitri also greeted him which surprised the gatekeeper and the prince wondered if he was so used to being ignored that a simple greeting from him could have him so flustered. 

He noted to himself to talk to his fellow Blue Lions to at least make sure to greet the gatekeeper if they see him. It seemed that he had been helping their professor ever since she had started teaching in the monastery so it was only right that her students give him the respect he deserved. Perhaps he could ask Mercedes to bake the gatekeeper a few cookies? Everyone loved Mercedes’ cookies and it had been those cookies that their professor had used as a gift (bribe) to get the young genius of the Golden Deer to transfer to their house. They passed by the marketplace, bringing a sense of pride in him as he noticed that everyone they passed by greeted his professor with a smile on their face which she always returned, and crossed the monastery gates. Dimitri rarely left the monastery grounds unless it was for their monthly missions so he was a bit curious to where the teal-haired woman was going. Below the monastery were buildings owned by the Church of Seiros, mainly used to house the battalions under their service or as lodges for people who visited Garreg Mach. The housing for the battalions and the lodges were all free to use and were maintained by members of the church but it was common practice to leave a ‘donation’ to the church for those who choose to lodge in one of the buildings provided by the church. They passed the buildings and journeyed into the nearby small forest and he could hear loud cheering coming further inside the forest. They finally stopped at a campsite filled with the mercenaries under Jeralt and Dimitri wondered why they were camping in the forest instead of staying in one of the buildings specifically created for battalions.

They were gathered around two men who were facing one another as they sat on the grassy ground, eyeing each other the way he has seen fighters do during a duel to the death.

“Do you have…” One of the men asked solemnly, “a six?” 

It took a moment for Dimitri to realize that they were holding cards in their hands with a deck of face down cards between them. The one who asked held two more cards than his opponent and his opponent’s lips curved into a slow smirk before he said, “Go fish.”

The man took a card from the deck between them and groaned at what he got. The men around them laughed while one of them shouted, “He got a jack!”

“Oh, come on!” The man shouted, glaring at the one who shouted.

“Thanks. Do you have a jack?” His opponent immediately asked.

The man turned back at him and grinned as he said, “Go fish, idiot.”

Everyone around them laughed once more and someone shouted, “I can’t believe he fell for that!” 

His opponent groaned as he took the top card from the deck and shouted at the man who lied, “When it’s my time to cook, you’re getting the burnt rice from the bottom of the pot!”

“Hey!”

They all stopped when they heard two quick claps, turning towards the sound and grinning when they saw their boss’ daughter.

“Hey, kid!” The mercenaries greeted cheerfully, “Hey there, Mini Boss!”

Mini… boss?

Dimitri wanted to ask so bad why she was called ‘mini boss’ but he was raised better than that.

He never thought there would come a time that he would have wished for Sylvain’s presence so that the older man would bypass common courtesy and ask for him.

“Is it a mission? Please tell me we have an urgent mission and we need to leave now. Plleeeasseee.” The man with the most cards begged.

“No, our next mission will be held by the end of this month.” She reminded them, earning a groan from the begging man.

“So what brings you here?” One of them asked, glancing at Dimitri quickly before adding, “With the prince of the holy kingdom, no less.”

At that declaration, all of them turned to stare at the said prince who was resisting the urge to squirm under their gaze as he kept his posture relaxed while giving them all a polite smile.

“I want to show Dimitri that dance.” She replied casually.

“That dance?” One of them asked, turning to look at one another.

“Oh! You mean the dance boss taught you!” One of the older men realized, making her nod.

“It’s hard to show the dance without the proper music so if some of you could play it while I show Dimitri…”

“Say no more!” One of them said before turning to his fellow mercenaries, “Get the instruments! AND THE BOOZE!”

They cheered while his professor sighed as she said, “The booze is not really necess-”

“No, no, no. Booze is totally necessary.” A few of them said with the severity of a man holding the fate of the world in his hands while the rest rummaged the tents to find… Dimitri wasn’t really sure who was looking for the instruments and who was looking for the booze.

It only took a few minutes before they got all the instruments and the booze out in the open. Dimitri had assumed the booze would be inside bottles but it turned out the booze in question were all in large barrels. Two of them opened a barrel each and began to fill cups which they each passed to everyone. One of them handed a cup to his professor and tried to give him one as well but she grabbed the mercenary's wrist and said, “He doesn’t know the steps.”

The man simply shrugged and drank it straight up before throwing the cup to ground. All of the mercenaries cheered and raised their cup. One of them, the same man who had ordered for the instruments and the booze, stood on one of the large rocks so everyone could see him and announced, “Okay, you guys know the drill.”

He raised his cup and everyone, including the teal-haired woman, raised their cup as he cheered, “Iechyd da!”

“Iechyd da!” They all cheered before drinking the cup all in one take. Dimitri watched in morbid fascination as they all threw their cups after they finished, cheering at the ones who have yet to finish their cup. His professor had been one of those who had thrown her cup first and only crossed her arms as she waited for the rest to finish. They all cheered as the last two mercenaries threw their cups to the ground. 

“Okay! Since you got to finish before him, you get to pick.” The man on top of the rock announced at the taller of the two mercenaries who finished last, “Lead or follow?”

“Lead.” The dark-haired mercenary gruffly said, making the mercenary who finished last roll his eyes.

“Of course you pick lead, big guy.” The man with hazel eyes mumbled as everyone cheered. They pushed the two to the center of the impromptu circle they had formed and before long, some of the mercenaries began to play a cheerful upbeat tune. Someone threw a cape on the shorter mercenary who tied it around his waist like some kind of makeshift skirt, all while sarcastically smiling at his partner. The taller mercenary rolled his eyes before he stepped backwards to the beat of the music while the shorter mercenary followed him with their steps harder at every first beat. 

As Dimitri watched the two mercenary turn around while they held hands in a way that they both faced the same direction as their outside arm was raised and held the same outstretched hand of their partner, he realized that he has seen this kind of dance before. It was the same dance the common folks in Fhirdiad would dance during festivals. He remembered seeing them dance when he went to a harvest festival with his childhood friends after Glenn and Miklan snuck them out of the castle once. 

He also remembered thinking it was such a fun dance and they had actually joined in, dancing with the other children as they tried to copy the adults as they dance. 

“I remember this dance.” He told her as he watched other mercenaries joined in. 

“Oh?” She turned to look at him as she tilted her head.

He chuckled softly before admitting, “Yes. I remember having so much fun trying to keep up with the rest. I kept making a few mistakes though.” 

“But you had fun?” She asked, staring at him.

“Yes. I believe I did.” He nodded as he watched the mercenaries continue to dance while those who didn’t dance would clap to the beat, letting out a cheerful “Hey!” at the same time the dancers would step harder than usual.

He felt her hand wrapped around his and his eyes widened as she pulled him towards the dancing mercenaries, “Prof-professor?”

Her lips curved into a small smile that took his breath away as she ordered, “Show me.”

His cheeks reddened at those words yet his legs followed her. They joined the other dancing mercenaries as they faced the same direction. He wrapped his left hand on her outstretched left hand as he kept his elbow at a height that was a little lower than his shoulder. He outstretched his right hand as he held her own right hand while her right elbow was at the same height as her shoulder. They began to turn around to the beat of the music. When they completed their fourth full turn, they exchanged the position of their hands so it was his left elbow and her right elbow that were raised before turning once more. On their fourth full turn, they stepped closer to each other as they took a small hop, almost hitting each other’s noses when they stepped too close to another. They chuckled softly as they turned, lifting their hands into a circular movement so they would continue to hold hands while they turned. On their fourth turn, they let go of their left hand and he raised his right hand above her head as she twirled in front of him with the only contact they had with each other was through the fingers of her right hand pressed against the fingers of his right hand. On her fourth twirl, Dimitri stepped too close and they bumped against each other. He instinctively wrapped his arms around her as she started to fall backward, pulling her against his chest. He opened his mouth to apologize but stopped when he heard her laugh. His heart soared at the rare sight of his professor laughing so freely. She raised her head and smiled at him as she asked, “This one’s fun, right, Dimitri?”

His eyes widened briefly at the question before he smiled softly at her, holding her close as he confessed, “Yes. I can say that, without a doubt, this has been the most fun I’ve had in a very long time.”

Her smile became softer as she said, “Good.”

He felt her warm hand touch his cheek gently as she commented, “You should smile like this more often.”

“Professor-”

Whatever he was about to say was lost as the mercenaries loudly cheered while more of them began to join the dance, some more drunk than the others. Both of them stared as the merry dance slowly devolved into a loud drunken dance before they turned to look at one another. They stared at each other for a moment before they laughed at the mercenaries’ antics. Before long, some of the mercenaries pushed them forward and they began to dance once more, laughing as they accidentally bump into one of the drunk mercenaries still trying to dance. 

The sun set and the moon bathed their merry little dance yet Dimitri did not feel tired at all. Some of the men had created a bonfire in the middle of those still dancing and they grilled meat and fish in the bonfire itself while some even grilled vegetables like cabbages and pumpkins. He and his professor managed to eat a bit before they were whisked again by some of the more energetic mercenaries into dancing once more. Dimitri lost sight of her for a few minutes as he was whisked into dancing with some of the mercenaries yet they mostly just swayed while resting each other’s arms on their comrades’ shoulders, too drunk to actually dance. They started to pass an actual barrel of booze and it looked more like they were bathing in it than actually drinking it. Fortunately, he was saved from suffering the same fate as them by the teal-haired woman who glared at them as she pulled Dimitri away from the drunken men. They only laughed and ruffled her hair, making her grimace as she felt her hair get wet from the booze still on their hands. A few of them even ruffled the prince’s hair, surprising the blond-haired boy at the casual yet affectionate touch. 

But, alas, all good things must come to an end.

And the harbinger of the end came in the form of an absolutely livid Seteth, followed by a bemused Jeralt. They had come because of the noise complaints and the green-haired man looked like he was ready to burst a vein at the sight of the Blue Lion’s professor and house leader looking so disheveled (from all the dancing, of course) and smelling like a tavern. He had left Jeralt to take care of his drunken mercenary group (which made both the Blade Breaker and his daughter snort while a few of their men too drunk to be scared of the livid green-haired man laughed loudly) while he personally took the wayward professor and her equally wayward student back to the monastery, emphasizing that it was already past curfew.

They had to endure Seteth’s lectures as they walked back to the monastery but the secret soft smile they traded when the older man wasn’t looking made it all worthwhile. 

  
  


**31st Day of the Harpstring Moon, 1185**

The night of the 31st day of the Harpstring Moon was greeted with festivity and the never-ending joy of his people as music filled the air while both food and drinks were passed around. His people filled both the streets of Fhirdiad and the courtyard of Castle Blaiddyd, celebrating the triumphant return of their king and the liberation of the capital city from the clutches of the empire’s puppet Cornelia. 

“You’re still awake?” He heard her ask from his left side. He turned and saw her standing a few feet away from him, holding a lamp on her left hand. He blinked at her, not expecting anyone in the castle to find him standing here in the ballroom floor of Castle Blaiddyd with the starry night sky and the lights from the celebrating people outside as his only sources of light. His surprise grew when he noticed that she wasn’t wearing her normal attire. Instead, she wore a long-sleeved white nightgown that covered up to an inch above her ankle underneath a thick dark blue cloak with the crest of Blaiddyd at the back and white fur on the hem and collar. He had never seen both articles of clothing before and they looked a bit old but cared for, almost as if they had been stashed away somewhere safe by someone who had dearly loved the original owner of the pieces of clothing. 

“I could ask you the same thing, Professor.” He said instead of answering her question. The truth was he couldn’t sleep, fearing that if he did close his eye, this day would turn out to be the dream instead. Rather than staying in his room, he decided to walk aimlessly and just happened to stop at the grand ballroom of Castle Blaiddyd, staring at the starry sky as he tried to remember the names of the constellations that Glenn once taught him and Felix when they had been children (“See that bright star that forms the end of the small ladle? That star will always point you north. So if you ever get lost, that star will lead you home.”). He watched as she walked towards him, stopping to stand by his side. She turned to face the window he had been staring at so he did the same, turning to stare at the window once more. They were so close to one another that a slight shift in their weight had their arms brushing against one another. 

“I couldn't sleep.” She replied and tugged her borrowed cloak as she admitted, “It's a bit colder here than what I'm used to.” 

His lips curved into a slight grimace as he politely said, “That’s to be expected of anyone who did not grow up here in Faerghus. I’m afraid this is quite mild in comparison to what we usually get here.”

She hummed and he felt her right hand brush against his left hand briefly before he heard her reply, “I think I can get use to this.”

He dared not ask what she meant by that. After that fateful rainy night, he felt as if they were both dancing around one another, the lingering looks they exchanged and the brief brushes of their hands against one another couldn’t have been simply a figment of his imagination. He was the only person she had ever invited to have tea in her room (and he was still embarrassed by the way he had slipped by telling her he felt like he could relax in her room) and it wasn’t even strange anymore to stay late at night in her room, simply talking about various subjects that ranged from what they must do to ensure the success of their next battle to which resources they were currently low at and how they could fix it to even talking about their childhood.

He knew that many were whispering behind their backs, wondering if there was something more between him and his professor. 

How he wished he actually knew the answer to that.

“Oh.” She said in an almost cheerful tone that surprised him out of his musing. He turned his head to look at her with a questioning expression on his face as she smiled. She turned her head towards him as well as she asked, “Do you remember this, Dimitri?”

He didn’t understand the question until he finally recognized the soft music he could hear coming from the festivity below. His lips curved into a nostalgic smile as he nodded, “Ah. It’s been a long time since I heard this music.”

He sighed softly as he admitted, “Dancing with you back then was one of the happiest days of my life.”

He felt her hand gently grasped his and he mentally thanked the silent goddess that he hadn’t bothered to wear his gauntlet nor his armor when he had started to walk aimlessly in his childhood home, deciding to simply go with the tight black long-sleeved turtleneck shirt and black riding trousers with his black combat boots, letting his blue cloak with its black and white fur protect him from the cold night. She led him towards the center of the ballroom, placing the lamp she held in her left hand down near them before further walking towards the center of the ballroom. 

She let go of his hands and took a step back before offering both of her hands towards him as she asked with a soft smile on her face, “Dance with me?”

His face brightened into a smile as he took a step forward, gently taking her hands to his. They moved so they would be facing the same direction with his left hand holding her left hand while his right hand held her other hand. He gently pulled her left hand so that he could place their joined left hands just below his left shoulder while she pulled his right hand so that their right hands would be right in front of her right shoulder. Standing side by side with their joined hands, Dimitri couldn’t help but notice how much smaller she was compared to him now. With the soft music coming from the festivity outside they began to turn around to the beat of the music. The ballroom was mostly dark except for the light coming from the huge windows and the lamp near them while the music outside was almost muffled by the thick walls and the glass windows, creating an almost whisper of privacy and secrecy into their dance. If he was being honest and hopeful, he would have added the word intimacy as well. 

Once they have completed their fourth full turn, they exchanged the position of their hands so that their right hands were below his right shoulder and their left hands were right in front of her left shoulder before continuing to turn once more. 

They completed their next fourth full turn and stepped closer to one another by taking a small hop. This time, their noses didn’t hit one another but they still stepped too close to one another than needed. They simply smiled softly at each other before turning, lifting their hands into a circular movement. He heard her gasp as he unintentionally lifted her off the floor when he raised his hands above his head. He turned to face her and immediately apologized, “I’m terribly sorry, Professor, are you alri-”

His apology was cut off by her laughter and he felt all of his thoughts left his head at the sight of her laughing so freely and the rare sight of her eyes crinkling in mirth. The light from the starry night outside and the lamp gave her an almost ethereal glow that made his heart beat so fast he feared it would burst out of his chest and he couldn’t stop himself from laughing together with her. 

They laughed together for what felt like a minute or maybe more before it slowly turned into a small chuckle. He selfishly continued to hold her hands as he apologized once more, “I do wish you would forgive my carelessness. I’ve forgotten how small you are-”

She raised an eyebrow at that and he quickly corrected, “I mean your height! I mean, you’re smaller than me now than before. I was not trying to belittle you or imply that you are inferior in any way-”

He stopped when he felt her tightened her grip on his hands as she smiled softly at him while saying, “I understand what you’re trying to say, Dimitri.”

He sighed in relief as she chuckled softly as she admitted, “Although, I will admit it did take a while to get used to the fact that you’re so much bigger than me now.”

Her smile turned a bit amused as she remembered, “Remember when we were on our way to our daily meeting back in the monastery? Ashe asked if you had seen me when I was just right behind you.”

He chuckled together with her as he remembered how red their sniper had been when he finally noticed their professor was just behind his king, staring at him with a raised eyebrow, “It’s not right to laugh at him, Professor. He felt really bad about not noticing you that he wouldn’t stop apologizing.”

“I know, I know.” She nodded before letting out another chuckle which he joined in. 

As their chuckle died down, he noticed that the music coming outside had changed to a slower tune. Feeling bold, he gently let go of her hands, causing her to stop chuckling to look at him with a curious and, dare he say, disappointed expression on her face. He took a step back and bowed slightly as he asked, “May I have this dance, milady?”

She raised an eyebrow at his last word but a playful smile appeared on her lips as she curtseyed, “I would be honored, Your Majesty.”

He chuckled at her reply and took a step forward. His eye shone with determination as he placed both of his hands on her waist, staring intently at her face. He might be feeling bold right now but he was ready to let go and step back at even the slightest hint that she was uncomfortable. Her eyes widened when she felt his hands gently press against her waist but she gave him a small shy smile as she placed her hands on his shoulders. They begin to sway to the tune of the slow music outside in silence, lost in this small little world made of only the two of them and this empty grand ballroom. 

He remembered his father once told him that he had met his mother, the mother he never knew, in this very ballroom. He wondered if his father felt the same way he was feeling right now as he held this beautiful woman in his arms. 

She was so small compared to him yet he knew that even though he may loom over her, it didn’t mean that she was weak or needed his protection.

Yet… he couldn’t help but wish to keep her in his arms, to pull her even closer to him and to wrap his cloak around her to protect her, not just from the cold night tonight but from everything that wished to bring her harm. 

However, that wasn’t the entire truth.

Yes, he wished to hold her and cover her with his larger body to protect her even though he knew that she could take care of herself. But he also wished to keep her in his arms for purely selfish reasons.

“Professor…” He whispered, making her hum to show that she was listening, “Once this is all over… once we end this war…”

She stared at him silently, her eyes trained on his face with such intensity that he almost faltered in his next words, “Would you… would it be too much to ask that you meet with me in the Goddess Tower?”

She blinked at him, not expecting the request. He wanted to explain to her the reason why he had asked for such a thing but he kept his mouth shut, waiting for her reply. 

He wanted to keep the reason close to his heart for now. 

“Okay.” She nodded, smiling at him softly.

“Thank you.” He whispered, “For indulging my selfish request.”

He saw her stand on her tiptoes as he felt her raise her right hand to rest on his cheek, her thumb caressing him gently as she replied, “To be completely honest, I think you should be more selfish in general, Dimitri.” 

“Besides, I like spoiling you.” She admitted as her cheeks reddened, “So don’t hold back, okay? If there’s anything you want me to do, just ask. I won’t promise I’ll be able to do everything you might ask but I can promise that I’ll do my best to grant all that you wish for.”

His own cheeks reddened at those words and he whispered, “Professor, you should be careful of what you say. Promising such a thing to one such as me… you should be more careful or you might be taken advantage of.”

She chuckled and rested her other hand on his other cheek, caressing him with her thumb as she replied, “I trust you, Dimitri. I know you’d never take advantage of me.”

“Some would say your trust is misplaced but…” He closed his eye and focused on the warmth of her hands as he whispered, “Thank you, Byleth.”

He heard her breath hitched and he opened his eye to stare at her as he gently pulled her closer to him. He leaned towards her and rested his forehead against hers as he whispered, “I wish you to know that I feel the same way. Whatever you wish, I would move the entire world to grant it.”

“Well, I wouldn’t want you to go that far…” She playfully commented, making him chuckle softly, before whispering, “But I do have one selfish wish that I hope you’d grant.”

“Tell me?” He whispered back, mesmerized by the way her cheeks had reddened yet she kept her eyes trained on his face. 

“Once this is all over and we’ve ended this war…” Her lips curved into that soft secret smile he remembered seeing five years ago and his heart soared as he heard her whisper, “Dance with me again?” 

He returned her smile with the brightest smile he didn’t even know he could make as he whispered back, “I would dance with you every night if that is what you wish.”

Her smile grew as she replied, “I’ll hold you to that.”

  
  


**31st Day of the Harpstring Moon, 1192**

After the war, the 31st Day of the Harpstring Moon became a celebrated holiday in Faerghus known as the Day of the Savior King’s Return. King Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd had been embarrassed with having a holiday named after him but his protest fell on deaf ears as both his Royal Court and his closest allies supported the national holiday. He finally reluctantly accepted the holiday when he saw how cheerful his people celebrated the holiday. 

Every year, the celebration of the Day of the Savior King’s Return (which was usually just shortened to the Savior King Day) would start even before the sun had even risen as people start to bring out food and drinks to be sold or given for free to anyone who may be interested. Some even prepared street stalls the night before while others simply set everything on tables they took out from their own home. Cheerful music would fill the street as children played on the streets while some would partake in the festive food and drinks. There would adults dressed up as strange huge statues that children would chase around, pretending to be knights, and they would receive rock candies for ‘defeating’ these statues. Before the bell could even struck twelve times for the day, couples would already be dancing on the streets to the merry tune of the musicians playing outside. Lily petals would fall from the upper levels like soft rain, a symbol for both the Church of Seiros’ support of their king’s return as well as a symbol for the savior king’s queen herself. 

The Day of the Savior King’s Return for this year was even more special than usual as this would mark the first year that both the king and queen had stayed in Fhirdiad for an entire year after six years of having to travel between Fhirdiad and Garreg Mach frequently so that the queen may do her duties as both the queen of the United Kingdom of Fodlan and the archbishop of the Church of Seiros while the king frequently visited the monastery to surprise his beloved wife. On the eve of the 31st day of the Harpstring Moon of the year 1191, Queen Byleth Eisner-Blaiddyd stepped down as archbishop of the Church of Seiros after spending six years reforming the church. 

On the night of the Day of the Savior King’s Return of the year 1192, a grand ball was hosted in Castle Blaiddyd. All of the king and queen’s supporters and allies were invited, including the king of Almyra himself. 

Amidst the glamour and elegance of the great ballroom, a merry music usually only played by commoners began to play, much to the surprise of many of the nobles and guests in attendance. They watched as the king danced with their firstborn and crown prince of the United Kingdom of Fodlan, the four years old Nikolai Lambert Blaiddyd at the center of the dance floor, laughing freely as he lifted his son above his head as he turned, much to the young boy’s delight. They watched as the queen joined them and the royal couple began to dance while the crown prince sat on his father’s shoulders, holding onto his hair as he giggled while his parents danced below him. Before long, the other guests began to join in dancing and laughing, filling the previously silent ballroom with mirth and laughter.

For many years to come, the Day of Savior King’s Return would be celebrated with joy and dancing. People would talk about how the savior king and his beloved queen had fallen in love as they danced into this merry tune that would always play during the festivity in Faerghus and how their own firstborn son would fall in love with a commoner years from now as they dance to the same tune on the very same day as his father king’s triumphant return. 

**Author's Note:**

> Oh man. I hope this was as fluffy as you expected?  
> I tried adding all the requests Kurrin had (because I could hahaha) so I hope I did okay XD
> 
> 1st request ♡  
> Dimileth dancing/ball  
> 2nd request ♡  
> Something about them and their first male child (with his name being Nikolai Lambert Blaiddyd)  
> 3rd request ♡  
> FLUFF! Tooth-rotting fluff that focuses on how smoll Byleth’s body is compared to Dimitri’s


End file.
